Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-12-28

almost 1mpercept1Dly begin 10 wane,
digestion becomes weaker, the circu-
alton enfeebled, the step less elastic,
until ut length, in q varying. period,
from eighty to one hundred years,
natural life terminates almost pain
lessly and quietly in natural death.
But TO know how lar the human fam
lily falls below its birthright Gold age) +,
YOU have only to trace the columns OF
our mortuary report and count the
deaths as they drop out from infancy
to old age.
BY comparing the mortality in the
different periods of life, we are ena-
bled to estimate the great need Of
sanitary reform. People should be
taught to seek hygienic advice rs ca
gerly as they do medical advice.
They ought to know that il is akin to
sin to be sick, if not absolutely sim
full; they want to know that in three
cases out of five all their attacks of
sickness is the result OF some sanitary
neglect or violation of some law
of nature. They want to learn
that it is vastly more easy to
prevent disease than to cure it. They
want to remember that hygiene and
sanitary science has for its object the
prevention and removal of ali causes
OF disease, to the end that every
human being born healthy shall have
surroundings that will allow of old age
and natural death.
The diseases which are more not.
ably influenced by sanitary supervi.
sion are the zymotic injections and
contagious forms, such as typhoid
fever, scarlet fever, diphtheria,
measles, whooping-cough, all the
eruptive levers, smallpox, yellow fe-
yer and cholera. And those which
contribute so largely in every commu,
nifty to the general mortality are pre-
eminently diseases OF childhood
measles, whooping-cough, scarlet fe-
yer, diphtheria and infantile diarrhea.
All of these diseases are in great
measure preventable, and many Of
them could be stamped out of exist
ence. Yet they are permitted to
run riot in some sections Of
the country and destroy in
densely populated communities
almost one-half OF the children. Re-
lief from this disastrous state OF affairs
must mainly come from more gen.
eral and thorough knowledge of do
nestle and public hygiene.
Defective ventilation, detective
drainage, impure drinking water, I'M
wholesome food and filthy surround.
ings, propagate in all probability
nearly ali Of our zymotic diseases
such as typhoid fever, diphtheria,
scarlet fever, cerebro-spinal menin.
gifts, erysipelas and epidemic bowel
complaints. Every family should re.
member that the causes of disease
except hereditary causes, are OF theil
own production that sickness is moi
sent, but originates from the causes
that surround them, and that those
causes are removable: that to suffer
with sickness or enjoy health is in a
great measure of their own choosing
1t is not too much to hope that conta-
gious diseases will some day be blottet
out of existence and thorough, uni
versal sanitary knowledge OF all cpl
demic diseases fully understood and
put under the control of the people.
OUTBREAK OF SMALLPOX.
On the 10th day OF February tn,
disease was first discovered, ant
within three days nine cases wer,
found in the heart of the city. All o
these cases were we'll developed be
fore the true nature of the disease was
fully comprehended; and as they wer
in lodging and boarding houses, a grea
many persons were necessarily ex
posed to the infection.
The history of the invasion OF the
disease in the city was not clear, bu
that the cOntaglon was first in the
Club Theatre there was no question O
doubt. The rst persons attacked
were attending the theatre, includin.
a member Of the band and one of thu
theatre walters. The inference woult
be that some one coming from an in
fected district visited the Club Theatr
carrying the infection on his clothes
or perhaps had very recently recov
cred from light attack of varioloid
Owing to 80 many persons being at
tackled at once, each max
ing q centre OF contagion
it was not remarkable tina
the disease should have an extensiv
spread. The second crop amountel
to between thirty and forty cases, an,
during the entire run of the disease,
period OF four months, l20 cases oc
cured in the city, the death rat
amounting to just one in eight, or on
OF 120 cases there were only fifteel
deaths. The light death rate wa
owing to large per cent. OF the pa
tents having been vaccinated in in
fancy. Not one died that had eve
been vaccinated. Los Angeles. how
ever, was fertile field for the scourge
as general vaccination had beel
greatly neglected. That the diseas
did not become veritable epidemi
was owing to the prompt and intelli
gent action OF the Mayor and Boar,
OF Health. By mutual consent be
tween the Board OF Health and Health
Officer the entire responsibility o
managing the disease was throw
upOl Luc ldlleT OulCldl, tIie Boar,
furnishing all the aid and supple
necessary to meet any emergencies
clothing the Health Officer with au
thority to employ all the medical as
sistance required, and placing the
police force at his command in orde
to meet any occasion or emergenc,
that might arise.
Active measures were at once insti
tuted to protect the citizens and crust
out what promised to be a seriou
epidemic. The plan adopted wa
thorough and extensive vaccination
strict isolation or quarantine and care
ful fumiga,ion.
a corps OF vaccinators was organ
lied, consisting of twenty competen
physicians, whose services were re
tanned for period of four weeks
Vaccinations were continued from da,
to day and from house to house
until 10000 free vaccinations hat
been accomplished. The physicians
of the city in their private practice
also did great deal of vaccinating
and a placar6 UEraa Vocc;pot;o,, }